One Year Ago Today…

One year ago today, I was anxiously awaiting the release of my debut novel, LOVE IN TRANSLATION. Emotions were very high to say the least but I remember being so excited to finally release my little baby into the world. In the months that followed, I quickly learned that there is a lot that goes into having a successful  novel, and only a small portion of it is actually writing a great novel. There have been ups and downs, but as I sit here and write this, I could not be more grateful for the experiences and the knowledge learned this past year.

And to celebrate the one year anniversary of the release of LOVE IN TRANSLATION, it will be on sale through Sunday evening. So, if you love love, and want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a good book, feel free to scoop up your copy.

LOVE IN TRANSLATION on Amazon.com

And the writing begins

It’s been a while since I’ve checked in here but life has been busy. My little boy turned one a on May 26th and I’ve just been spending time relishing in the moment with him and my husband. But, life goes on and I’ve been itching to write, so I am pleased to announce that the next book has begun. Like most writers, I too suffer from doubt and insecurity but ultimately at the end of the day, I write because it’s what I love to do and as with anything in life, there will always be positive and negative feedback. Although I have received mostly positive praise for my debut, Love In Translation, it still takes a lot to get back out there and do it again. And with that, I would like to cut the ribbon and give it another go. The two main characters, Erin and Jake, have a story they are dying to share with you all. So with that, wish me luck!

 

 

 

A wonderful new review!

Thank you so much, Michelle! This review is wonderful and I am so thankful to you for hosting me! 🙂

You have to love a book that opens with your heroine “stalking” an ex-boyfriend, tailing him like a pro in her car, and ducking down to avoid being scene.  And ignoring your best friend wanting to know what in the blue blazes you are doing, of course.  That is how we meet Emily, broken-hearted after boyfriend, David, dumps her for another woman. Emily is a fun lead character to get to know.  She is charming, witty, a little naive at times, but always trying to do the right thing for everyone in her life.  I love the friendship that is displayed between her and her two best girlfriends, Deana and Sophie. And while she is blind to the obvious interest that her best male friend, Steven, has in her, there is a great vibe between them.  Add in the spicy hot new neighbor, Andres, and Emily has a busy schedule on her hands.  I love that you were never certain who Emily would pick…I definitely had my favorite and who I was rooting for (and yay, she picked him) but it was obvious that both men would do right by her.

This is the debut novel of Sara Palacios and you would never guess it.  She writes like she has been doing this professionally for years.  She knows what type of story to weave to get the reader completely invested and to hold them there until the book ends and you give a satisfied sigh of contentment. I read this book in one sitting, knowing that I would be dragging at work the next day but not caring. If you want a book full of humor, friendship, and romance, then I highly recommend taking this one for a spin.

You can purchase LOVE IN TRANSLATION here:

Amazon: Print or Kindle
Barnes and Noble: Nook

A new review!

Did you know that LOVE IN TRANSLATION is now available for $2.99 as an eBook on Amazon.com?

A NEW 5 STAR REVIEW:

“The first chapter had me hooked and I finished this book quickly – Emily’s story opens with a bad break-up and the feeling that she is destined for one bad relationship after another. Her circle of friends are there to support but you definitely get the impression that her buddy Steven is looking for more even though Emily refuses to see it. Enter Andres the new neighbor. Wow! He is what women dream of . . . but before you can chalk this up to – and they lived happily ever after – you find some twists and turns to the story and emotions bubbling up from the past that need to be dealt with. Overall a very enjoyable book that makes you want to book a ticket to Madrid.”

 

A few more FIVE STAR REVIEWS!

I just realized that two more reviews have popped up on Amazon for LOVE IN TRANSLATION and I am so thrilled with both of them. Thank you so much Cat & Susie!

5.0 out of 5 stars Love in Translation Review, March 2, 2013

By Catherine Lavoie “catenabi” (Montreal, Québec Canada)

This review is from: Love In Translation (Kindle Edition)

There are so many things I enjoyed about Sara Palacios’ debut novel, LOVE IN TRANSLATION. The characters felt real and were completely relatable. The writing is full of warmth and humor and Andres the sexy chef is a foodie’s dream. (I have been craving Spanish food for the last few days!) LOVE IN TRANSLATION is a great read and I really loved spending time with these characters. I’m definitely looking forward to reading Sara’s next novel!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Love Story!!!, March 1, 2013

By SusieQ

Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

This review is from: Love In Translation (Paperback)

What a beautiful love story!! I just finished reading it (couldn’t put it down) and I plan on re-reading it this weekend. This is a must read for all you gals out there!! Spicy, Hot, And Delicious. Sounds like a Latin dish right? It might be good idea to relish on a Latin dish before indulging into this read. Oh, and don’t forget the margaritas!!

Amazon: Print or eBook

Barnes and Noble: eBook

Kobo: eBook

First review of LOVE IN TRANSLATION

To be honest, when I saw this review on Amazon.com, I teared up a little bit from happiness. These words make me so happy and I am so excited to share them with you:

Comfort food for thought February 22, 2013

By David Gray

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Love in Translation is all about relationships and the many facets of love that define them. The joys and sorrows of fraternal, familial, love at first sight, and the rarest of them all, love between soulmates–all those can be found here. The story itself is a slice out of daily life, with situations and characters that feel genuine. The dialog and the behaviors, the details of the main character’s thoughts, and the humor–I laughed out loud during the lingerie shopping scene–draw the reader in from the start. The pace is fast enough to keep you wanting to see what happens next, but slow enough to enjoy the scenery. An unwinding at the end of the day book, that’s what this is, so sit back and enjoy.

Thank you so much David for this amazing review. I am so glad that you enjoyed the book.

And if you too have read my book, I would love to hear from you and may even share your review here on my website.

Amazon: Print or eBook

Barnes and Noble: eBook

Kobo: eBook

Love In Translation Sights: Barton Creek Greenbelt

One of the pivotal scenes in the book between Andres and Emily takes place on the Barton Creek Greenbelt (and is also the inspiration behind the book cover). So, I thought it would be fun to give you a little background and some imagery to help you along when you read that particular scene in the book.

Now, if you don’t live in Austin, you are definitely missing out … and the greenbelt is definitely one of those reasons. There are dozens of places to hike in the city but this place is by far my favorite, and come springtime, the city usually hits the outdoors with full force after being cooped up after weeks (or a few days) of cooler temps.

Here is a little bit about the greenbelt from Wikipedia: The Barton Creek Greenbelt, located in Austin, Texas is managed by the City of Austin’s Park and Recreation Department and is considered the seventh best hiking trail in Texas.¹ The Greenbelt is a 7.25-mile (11.67 km) stretch of public land that begins at Zilker Park and stretches South/Southwest to the final section commonly referred to as “The Hill of Life” which ends in the Woods of Westlake subdivision.² The Barton Creek Greenbelt consists of three areas: the Lower Greenbelt, the Upper Greenbelt and the Barton Creek Wilderness Park and is characterized by large limestone cliffs, dense foliage, and shallow bodies of water.

Popular Barton Creek Greenbelt locations include: Twin Falls, Campbell’s Hole, The Flats, Gus Fruh, and Sculpture Falls.

A little Q&A about me and LOVE IN TRANSLATION

So, over the past few weeks, I’ve had numerous people ask a lot of questions about my book and about my writing, so I thought it would be fun to do a little Q&A. A lot of the questions have been submitted by friends and family on Facebook. Please keep in mind that some of them are fairly simple … but some of them are really fun. If you have a fun question for me, feel free to ask away. As always, thanks for reading!

When did you know writing was for you? I have always been an avid reader but I didn’t start to dabble in writing until I was in college. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I’ve been writing ever since.

How would you describe your book? LOVE IN TRANSLATION really brings a lot to the table. At the heart of the novel, there is a love story – but there is so much more going on. Over the course of the book, Emily (the main character) is presented with many obstacles and as a reader, you truly get to see her grow into her own skin. So, in a nutshell, the novel is about personal growth and acceptance, friendship, love, family and forgiveness.

Where did you get your idea from and how did you decide what direction to take it? Wow! This is a great question! I got the idea kind of from my husband. As some of you may now, my husband is a native Spanish speaker and I thought it would be such a fun (and unique) idea to write a story where two people meet and have an instant spark, yet don’t speak the same language. What would they do? How would they navigate that situation? I was so intrigued that I dove right in, never looked back and I found my answer while writing.

What was the hardest part of the writing process for you? The hardest part for me was definitely pursuing publishing. To say the least, it isn’t for the faint of heart.

Are you nervous about how people will react to your book once it is published? To be honest, I am terrified! But, I’ve come to peace with the fact that it is all part of the process. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I love my characters so much that I just had to share them with the world and I hope that as a reader, you will love Andres and Emily (and Steven) just as much as I do!

Where did you get the name Andres from? And did you model him after anyone in particular? This one is top secret! I would love to hear your suggestions though once you read the book! I am curious if anyone can guess it! I might offer up a hint once the book is published though, so let me know if you would like that!

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you as an author? Hmm … I guess that I am just like them. This story (although not based on actual events) really brings to light a lot of challenges that we all face as we navigate life, love and friendship.

What would be your advice to aspiring writers? Write! Revise later.

How did you pick your title? This was actually quite a headache, albeit a fun headache. At first, the title for this book was A SUMMER TO REMEMBER, which is still very fitting, but I felt that it didn’t really encompass what the book was about. So, over my conversations with Ricardo, my little brother Kyle and my mom, I eventually settled on LOVE IN TRANSLATION. I really wanted the word TRANSLATION in the title because of the whole Spanish/English translation aspect but just couldn’t really make up my mind. Seriously, it took me weeks! Another favorite was LOVE IS BETTER FRIED. You can thank Ricardo and Kyle for that one. 🙂

What is your favorite book? This is a tough one, but I would have to say PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett.

Favorite movies? Here ya go, and in no particular order:

THE HOLIDAY with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law

IT’S COMPLICATED with Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE with Keira Knightley

DEVIL WEARS PRADA with Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep

Who is your favorite literary character? This one is tough too but I would have to go with Jack Jackson (aka Jack Builder) from PILLARS OF THE EARTH. A close second would have to be Legolas from LORD OF THE RINGS. A close third, probably Mr. Darcy from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

Who is your writing inspiration? I am a really big fan of Emily Giffin, Jennifer Weiner, Kristin Hannah and Jane Green … but, I also really love the indie authors who have made it big time like Sarah Jio and Tracey Garvis Graves! I am such a huge fan of BLACKBERRY WINTER and ON THE ISLAND!

Favorite junk food? It is practically impossible to name just one, so here are a few: KitKat’s, Oreo’s, PIZZA and mozzarella sticks.

Favorite guilty pleasure? I’m not really sure what this question means, but I will pretend that it means favorite hobbies … which would be anything outdoors, hanging out with my husband, son and doggies, exercising, reading, skiing, cooking and writing.

Favorite TV show? I’m slightly embarrassed to admit this, but right now, it would have to be Gossip Girl! The husband and I have also been flying through White Collar on NetFlix.

What is your must have beauty product? Lip Gloss! Hands down! Now, if we are being specific, I am a sucker for MAC lip gloss. And love all things hot pink!

Well, that was fun! That you so much to everyone who submitted questions. Only 19 more days until LOVE IN TRANSLATION gets released!

As always, thanks for reading!

COVER REVEAL!

Oh boy, I am so excited to finally unveil my book cover for you all. So, with much anticipation, here it is:

So, what do you think? I love it! I am so pleased with the way that it turned out (thank you to my amazing husband for your creative insight and input). And yes, the bluebonnets are completely relevant. You will just have to wait and see how they fit into the story, I can’t wait to share that with you as well! Maybe I will post a book excerpt next?!? Either way, thank you so much to everyone for all of your love and support so far into my publishing journey. I am finishing up my final go around on edits (thanks to my dear friend, the fabulous Cristina Reyna!) and then LOVE IN TRANSLATION will be ready to go. Wish me luck!

So, what’s in a name?!?

Although there were numerous close guesses, no one was able to accurately guess the book title correctly. But, kudos to everyone for trying. Thank you so much for being involved in my journey and for all of your kind words and messages. So, here we go. With much anticipation, I am so honored to finally share my title with you:

So, what do you think? Love it? Hate it? I definitely had a difficult time narrowing down a title for my book but once I stumbled on these three words, I knew it was the one. I think it perfectly conveys exactly what my book is about … in more ways than one. Please stay tuned over the next few weeks as I document my journey into the published world. There will be lots more contests and fun giveaways for everyone to enjoy. Can’t wait to share this journey with you! 🙂

Happy Wednesday and Happy early Thanksgiving!